Pike County superintendent, high school principal indicted

Two school officials in Pike County, Ind., are facing misdemeanor charges of failing to report child abuse or neglect.

Indictments against Pike County School Corp. Superintendent D. John Thomas, 61, and Pike Central High School Principal LeAnne Kelley, 46, were returned Thursday by a county grand jury.

According to Indiana State Police, the charges stem from two separate cases involving Luke Musselwhite, 26, a former Pike Central teacher and assistant football coach.

Police in August began investigating allegations Musselwhite had sent hundreds of text messages, including several that were sexual in nature, to a female student a few months earlier.

Musselwhite was arrested Sept. 2 on charges of dissemination of harmful material to a minor, a class D felony, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a class A misdemeanor.

On that same day, Pike Central teacher and head football coach Marty Deputy committed suicide amid rumors he also was being investigated for alleged phone-related misconduct. Deputy never was arrested.

Police in January launched a second investigation of Musselwhite that involved an allegation he struck a female student on the back of her leg with a yard stick. A misdemeanor battery charge was filed.

The cases against Musselwhite still are pending in Pike County courts.

During his investigations of Musselwhite, detective Tobias Odom received information that Thomas and Kelley knew about the teacher's alleged misconduct but "failed to notify police or child protective services," according to an Indiana State Police news release.

Pike County Prosecutor Darrin McDonald presented the case to a grand jury. Testimony took "several days," the State Police said.

The indictments came Thursday. McDonald couldn't be reached for comment.

Thomas and Kelley turned themselves in at the Pike County Jail at 2:45 p.m. Both were released after posting bond.

A telephone message left at Thomas' home was not returned. Kelley could not be reached.

Gary Horrall, president of the Pike County School Board, declined to comment.

Thomas has been superintendent in Pike County since January 2004. The school system's official enrollment is 2,046.